Gene still Gene even when apologizing

Yet, Gene couldn't leave well enough alone with just a simple apology and misunderstanding of a quote taken out of context. No, he had to make it about him and stir up the BC-UConn stuff again.

"...while I harbor some ill feelings toward the University of Connecticut regarding the lawsuit, depositions and derogatory comments from UConn officials when we announced our decision to join the ACC, it was inappropriate to express personal feelings that might have been construed as the position of Boston College or the Atlantic Coast Conference."

Now this would slide with most BC fans if it wasn't part of a pattern. Too often Gene takes things that are personal and reacts without thinking of its impact on BC (see the Jags firing, the Spaz hiring, etc). He is an employee of BC, not BC sports himself. Plus it has been seven years since the Big East lawsuit. Don't you think it is time for Gene to let the UConn stuff go?

GDF can hold his raw personal feelings toward UConn. But he needs to hold thesE bitter feelings to himself. He comes across as petty and misdirects the issue to something it is not. ACC declined on UConn for sound biz reasons. But you would never know that by listening to GDF. Now the issue is whether BC is vindictive or not. Stupid GDF

As u say, he is not BC. He needs to put BC first , not GDF first.

But seriously, we have seen far too much of this. GDF is not changing. He needs to go. And whoever is advising him on media matters needs to go too

UConn went after him and his family personally...PERSONALLY, they tried to destroy him and Father Leahy..no as long as anyone involved is still at UConn I'm ok with Gene on this (and I'm with him on much these days).

And another thing, why the hell would you want them after what they did? You don't do business with someone you don't/can't trust, sooner or later they will fuck you. UConn's administration cannot be trusted, don't do business with them. If they change the administration, ok. But you don't invite someone who tried to kill your family into your home for dinner just because 7 years have passed.

UConn did nto bring a hit on Napoleon Defilipo. Even if he did, as an executive and visible representative of Boston College, he needs to hold his tongue better. But this man has not self control. Everything is personal with him. Being invested in your job is fine - probably preferred. But this guy acts in such an irrational manner as a result.

I am amazed at how someone so governed by emotion and impulse came to be a highly paid leader of a major university.

I hate Uconn. But Gene and Leahy brought the law suit on by their actions. The suit was not really about BC leaving the Big East. A major part of the compaint was about BC -Gene and Leahy-by making certain false statements induced the other schools to believe that BC was done with the ACC and was together with the Big East to solidify itself. They were actually part of confidential meetings on strategy. If it had ever gone to trial the evidence would have shown that BC, in particular Gene and Leahy were in continued talks with the ACC while they were at these meetings and that BC had no intention continuing in the Big East. That is major problem. Gene mismanaged that whole scene. he got called on it, it cost BC money and he is bitter that he got correctly depicted as a liar. What was the BIg East going to do if he and leahy just were honest and said-we should be part of the meetings-we are continuing to keep our options open for what is best for BC, but in the mean time we support the Big East. Simple-classy-no law suit.

While we all know UConn is full of thugs, criminals, and shady business men, GDF really should have a more politically correct way to get his feelings across. College sports are a business and should be treated as such, not the cat fight he makes this out to be.

He is pathetic. He makes the school look pathetic. It is bad for the school, it is bad for morale, and most of all it is bad for any chance that BC football and other sports would have to come back from this season.

Perhaps the little fellow knows that his time is up and he is using all the soundbites he can to get his true feelings out. Too optimistic?

canttakeit is completely off base on the leaving the Big East stuff. He's completely botched everything to do w/ football except for getting us into the ACC.

Furthermore, I hope he did black ball UConn. They deserve it and it is good for both Gene and BC if they aren't in the ACC b/c our university shouldn't have any association w/ them. But Gene's ego made him talk about it which was stupid. He created this whole story so now he has to deal w/ it.

Kevin. Not going to get in a pissing contest. The Court docs are available on line. While the lawsuit brought everything,the major and most damaging aspect was BC's not being honest with their intentions. The ACC move was the correct thing to do. So is keeping UConn out if possible. But Gene and Leahy got caught in a lie, no doubt about it. It could have been handled better. The guy just doesn't know how to keep his mouth shut or how to be honest.

I will post until this blog no longer exists that firing Jags and hiring Spaz were not bad decisions on the face of the matter.

Jags directly violated an order and showed that he was not interested in our school. Spaz was someone from within a program that had been successful in the ten years prior to his hiring.

Obviously things have not worked out. But Gene was not wrong to do what he did. It's so unfair to undercut the success the school as a whole has had under him because of our recent football (and maybe basketball, if you take a really harsh stance) struggles.

Let's not forget that UConn sued Gene and Shalala personally, in addition to suing BC, Miami, and the ACC. UConn also tried a wipsaw settlement of sorts (i.e., leave the bulk of conspiracy liability on the weakest person in charge). It got very personal.

Canttakeit, what lie are you saying Leahy and GD were caught in? The board minutes couldn't be any clearer that BC only recommitted to the Big East if football separated from the non-FB schools, which they promised to do, and then BC only threatened to leave after the Big East did an about face to keep a 17 team league together.

But the classy thing and most prudent legally thing to do would have been to tell the Big East all options were still open. That is what Monan and Bill Flynn would have done. That is why they were respected. Gene got caught lying. It is irrelevant now as the ACC was a great move. It was just the first telltale sign of how Gene does business. He doesn't think about the future ramifications of his actions.

These are only the self serving allegations of a lawsuit, but you have to believe there is at least some truth to what is alledged.

"This lawsuit seeks to recover for the damage done by the ACC's predatory scheme to eliminate the Big East as a competitor for television and Bowl Championship Series revenue. As repugnant as the ACC's reckless and reprehensible misconduct was BC's wrongdoing," said Blumenthal. "Even as BC was reaffirming its loyalty and allegiance to the Big East – and receiving confidential and sensitive information from its Big East partners – it was conspiring with the ACC and Miami to betray and ultimately destroy the Big East. BC violated its legal duties to its Big East partners and accepted the ACC's invitation mere minutes after it was extended."

Unlike the original lawsuit, BC Athletic Director Gene DeFilippo was named as a defendant for misusing his role as President of the Big East Conference. As Big East President, DeFilippo presided over several meetings in which the Big East discussed plans for the future and ways to strengthen the conference after the departure of Virginia Tech and the University of Miami. DeFilippo and BC were privy to the most sensitive information concerning the Big East, which, if turned over to the ACC will only further injure the remaining Big East schools, the lawsuit alleges

Gene doesn't understand that if he is nice sounding to UConn publicly it forces them to make their case on their own merits. It also would drive them crazy because they do not bring a positive equation which allows him to keep talking about economics and geographic fit.

BC's requirements for an AD outgrew Gene many year's ago. Unfortunately, Gene believes he is a star. He will not keep quiet, let others do the work while he gets to be the million dollar executive.

About Five's point that "Gene doesn't understand that if he is nice sounding to UConn publicly it forces them to make their case on their own merits." is one of the best I've heard.

Canttakeit, why do we have to believe that there is any truth to what was alleged? I'll admit I've never read them but the general consensus amongst BC fans seems to be that the actual minutes of the Big East meetings in question support Scott's post in that we let them know what changes were required and the BE voted to go in the opposite direction.

I must respectfully disagree about the Spaz hiring--from the process p.o.v. It is now clear that GDF was less than truthful when he said that there had been a "national search". It is also clear that the process was flawed for lack of thoroughness and transparency.

"GDF in a room" was what he did and we ended up with Spaz as a result.

If there had been a true, open, and more participatory hiring process, with visits and interviews, meeting the students, etc., then Spaz would have derived more legitimacy from such a process.

I think ol' GDF was playing pretty fast and loose. According to a 2003 article:

"Rutgers AD Robert Mulcahy described a meeting two months ago [July/August 2003] between the presidents and ADs of Rutgers, UConn, Syracuse, BC, Pittsburgh and West Virginia. At the meeting, Mulcahy said, BC officials committed to working to strengthen the Big East.

'Every one of them pledged their support to making this a strong and viable conference," Mulcahy told The Associated Press. "This is akin to being a traitor. I sat in the room, I heard them all commit.'"

All this talk about GDF being sued "personally" is a complete red herring and means nothing. Of course he was named personally in the lawsuit, but it's not like he was at risk of losing his house or even personally being on the hook for one dollar. I am sure that BC, like every large entity, has directors and officers insurance which would indemnify him (i.e., cover his liability) in an suit brought against him related to his actions as the BC AD. Granted, there were some pointed allegations in the suit specifically pertaining to GDF's own actions, but that fact that he was name personally means nothing really.

This entire issue is degenerating into a "free for all". It is important to retain perspective and to stay reasonable. I support Atlanta's assessment of Spaziani. If GDF lowers himself to a stout defense of Spaziani, then he will "be on the Titanic" when it sinks. If he takes the high road and is reasonable in his asssessment, then he wins and so does BC. However, it looks like the "whirlpool" has sucked in GDF and the next target is WPL. He too has to act because I don't remember the Titanic having a chaplain.

I agree with Bill. It is time to let the UConn thing go. GDF is NOT BC sports, but he has been afforded way, way too much power over BC sports. His decisions have been driven by personal ego rather than the good of BC, and we are now seeing the results in a football program that has sunk so fast so quickly it will take years to repair.

I agree with BJK, let's shift the discussion to players. If not football (very glad for the possibility of next year with Montel) how about BBall? Looks like we got another highly regarded Calif recruit - Joe Rahon I'd love to hear your take on the Cali pipeline Donahue is forming.

I still think Montel will transfer without a positive coaching change. He can't transfer unless he has the medical red shirt approved at BC. Once he gets the year back, as long as he graduates, he can go anywhere outside the ACC.

He has the rushing record, why would he come back? Do you think he might enhance his NFL chances playing on a real offense?

Here are the meeting minutes where BC & Syracuse pledged to stay with the Big East if football split from Basketball and Mike T. They all agreed.

http://mysite.verizon.net/fethrs/Minutes%20July%202003.pdf

Here is the subsequent meeting minutes where the Big East changed the plan, and the Syracuse AD resigned to object, and BC said it would reapproach the ACC.

http://mysite.verizon.net/fethrs/Minutes%20October%202003.pdf

It was at that time, that Mike T & The Big East tried to rush through costly/longer exit requirement, breaking every rule of process in the Bylaws. That's when the court invalidated the higher exit fee, which BC ended up paying to settled everything.

You say "BC won the lawsuit. {WRONG] It was charged with conspiracy [a claim in the lawsuit, not 'charged']. It not found guilty of conspiracy.[wrong.. case settled] It has not been charged in a civil suit [it was a civil suit]

The state of Connecticut lost the suit. [wrong - BC paid some money to settle]"

The original lawsuit was filed by Skadden Arps in Connecticut (on behalf of 4 schools and Conn) as a simple civil suit for various civil tort damages (it was not criminal conspiracy, but civil conspiracy to interfere with economic advantage), and it was bounced for various jurisdictional reasons. They had to refile a few times to establish minimum connections just to keep it alive.

In the meantime, BC filed for declarative judgment in state court over the exit provisions. BC won that suit on summary judgment, in a scathing opinion that ripped Mike T to pieces. BC won the appeal and they settled for $5million (the exit fee) which pretty much ended all litigation.

As for the original Conn suit, they lost the PI (to stop expansion), and the case for damages never made it past discovery (or high-level depositions). They ultimately settled for (1) a promise for the ACC to schedule the Big East a few times each year for a decade, and (2) a nominal fee that was smaller than the their legal bills.

“In his deposition, the Commissioner of the Big East gave the following testimony:

Q: You intended this amendment to make it more difficult for Boston College to join the ACC, is that correct?A: Yes.Q: And you were going to make it more difficult for Boston College by requiring them to pay more money and wait longer before they could leave, is that right?A: Yes.”